Pleat, who left his job as Spurs director of football in the summer before the arrival of Jacques Santini and Frank Arnesen, believes the selection of Robinson, Defoe and King was a testament to his belief in youth and his ability to spot a bargain.

Robinson, at £1.5million, and Defoe, at £7m, will surely turn out to be the club's best transfer coups for years and likely to give them a handy sell-on price, if that occasion ever arises.

So Pleat was understandably beaming with pride at the selection of the Tottenham three and more than optimistic about their respective international futures.

He said: "Wednesday was a good night for England fans, particularly if they also support Tottenham. With three of Sven-Goran Eriksson's starting XI at White Hart Lane - one youth-team product in Ledley King and two players I brought to the club, Jermain Defoe and Paul Robinson - they had reason to feel proud, particularly given the performance of the players.

"The last time I saw Jermain was at the end of last season. I'd just left Spurs, and he was waiting to find out if he would make the England squad for Euro 2004. It was never a risk bringing him to Spurs. He's such an excellent finisher and his scoring record, back to his time in Charlton's youth setup, is fantastic.

"He has a low centre of gravityand has a small backlift, which means he can get a shot off before a defender has time to block it. His right foot is his main weapon - I reckon nine out of 10 goals will come from it - and it is truly ferocious.

"In training he never really stood out until the ball got near goal, and his link-up play will improve over the next few years but he's single-minded and has that Malcolm Macdonald philosophy - he's not afraid to miss. My one worry when Spurs signed him was who he'd end up playing with.

"He knew Freddie Kanoute from West Ham, so he could play with a taller man, but I wasn't sure how he'd work with Robbie Keane, who superficially is very similar.

"Despite that, I've got no doubt they will form Jacques Santini's preferred partnership at Spurs. That experience of playing with a smaller man will make Defoe more useful for England, where he will end up playing with Michael Owen or Wayne Rooney."

Pleat added: "I always felt Robinson was an England goalkeeper in waiting. We paid £1.5m for him. In a way it was an unfair price for Leeds but it was a fire sale.

"He reminds me of Peter Shilton; he's got strong round shoulders like a tiger. He prowls. He's also very vocal for a young keeper, perhaps too excited. He'll become calmer in time, and has all the physical attributes to maintain a very high level."

Meanwhile, Gary Doherty returns to Tottenham on Sunday for the first time since moving to Norwich last month and is expected to play up front.

He said: "I had three good years at Spurs and, although it will be a bit strange, it will be nice to see the players. I thought Jermain might score for England - he is especially good at debut goals."